Decoy with anchor reel

Abstract

A decoy provided with a hollow keel on the bottom thereof for enclosing an anchor reel mechanism and selectively anchoring the decoy in a water body. The anchor reel mechanism is characterized by a spool which is rotatably mounted in a spool housing located the keel, with an anchor line wound on the spool and an anchor attached to the free end of the anchor line. The spool is rotatable in the spool housing to deploy the anchor on the water bottom and secure the decoy in hunting configuration and the anchor may be retracted into a shaped anchor receptacle in stored configuration by inserting a crank in one end of the spool and rotating the spool with the crank to wind the anchor line on the spool. A plug is threaded in the spool housing of the keel and is designed to selectively engage the spool and prevent deployment of the anchor when the decoy is in stored configuration. Loosening of the plug allows the anchor to fall from the anchor receptacle and the anchor line to deploy from the spool when the decoy is floated in the hunting configuration.

Having described my invention with the particularity set forth above, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A decoy comprising: a shaped waterfowl decoy; substantially hollow keel means provided on the bottom of said decoy; a spool rotatably mounted with in said keel means, an anchor line wound on said spool and an anchor secured to said anchor line; and a plug threadably provided in said keel means substantially in alignment with said spool, whereby said spool is rotatable in said keel means and the anchor line is selectively unwound from said spool and wound on said spool responsive to loosening said plug in said keel means and the spool is prevented from rotating responsive to tightening said plug against said spool in said keel means. 
     
     
       2. The decoy of claim 1 further comprising a spool housing provided in said keel means and spool engaging means projecting inwardly of said spool housing in spaced relationship substantially at the axis of spin of said spool for rotatably supporting said spool in said keel means. 
     
     
       3. The decoy of claim 1 further comprising anchor receptacle means provided in said keel means for receiving said anchor when the anchor line is wound on said spool. 
     
     
       4. The decoy of claim 1 further comprising: (a) a spool housing provided in said keel means and spool engaging means. projecting inwardly of said spool housing in spaced relationship substantially at the axis of spin of said spool for rotatably supporting said spool in said keel means; and   (b) anchor receptacle means provided in said keel means for receiving said anchor when the anchor line is fully wound on said spool.   
     
     
       5. The decoy of claim 1 further comprising a crank slot provided in said spool and crank means having a crank tab adapted to register with said crank slot for rewinding the anchor line on said spool responsive to rotation of said spool by manipulating said crank when said plug is loosened in said keel means. 
     
     
       6. The decoy of claim 1 further comprising: (a) a spool housing provided in said keel means and spool engaging means projecting inwardly of said spool housing in spaced relationship substantially at the axis of spin of said spool for rotatably supporting said spool in said keel means;   (b) anchor receptacle means provided in said keel means for receiving said anchor when the anchor line is fully wound on said spool; and   (c) a crank slot provided in said spool and crank means having a crank tab adapted to register with said crank slot for rewinding the anchor line on said spool responsive to rotation of said spool by manipulating said crank when said plug is loosened in said keel means.   
     
     
       7. The decoy of claim 5 further comprising a crank shaft bracket attached to the bottom of said decoy in spaced relationship with respect to said keel means and a bracket opening provided in said crank shaft bracket for receiving and stabilizing said crank means when said crank tab is inserted in said crank slot. 
     
     
       8. The decoy of claim 7 further comprising: (a) a spool housing provided in said keel means and spool engaging means projecting inwardly of said spool housing in spaced relationship substantially at the axis of spin of said spool for rotatably supporting said spool in said keel means; and   (b) anchor receptacle means provided in said keel means for receiving said anchor when the anchor line is fully wound on said spool.   
     
     
       9. The decoy of claim 1 further comprising at least one ballast means provided in said keel means for stabilizing said decoy in an upright position when said decoy is floating. 
     
     
       10. The decoy of claim 6 furhher comprising: (a) a crank shaft bracket attached to the bottom of said decoy in spaced relationship with respect to said keel means and a bracket opening provided in said crank shaft bracket for receiving and stabilizing said crank means when said crank tab is inserted in said crank slot; and   (b) at least one ballast means provided in said keel means for stabilizing said decoy in an upright position when said decoy is floating.   
     
     
       11. A decoy having an anchor keel comprising a shaped waterfowl decoy having a substantially flat bottom for floating said decoy on a water body; a hollow keel having an open bottom provided on said bottom of said decoy; a generally cylindrical spool housing provided in said keel and a spool rotatably mounted in said spool housing; a length of anchor line normally wound on said spool, with one end of said anchor line attached to said spool and the opposite end of said anchor line extending through said open bottom of said keel and an anchor attached to said opposite end of said anchor line; and a threaded plug threadably seated in one end of said spool housing substantially in alignment with said spool, whereby said spool is prevented from rotating in said spool housing when said plug is tightened in said spool housing against said spool and said spool is allowed to rotate in said spool housing when said plug is loosened in said spool housing and spaced from said spool, for selectively securing said anchor in said keel and deploying said anchor from said keel in said water body. 
     
     
       12. The decoy of claim 11 further comprising anchor receptacle means provided in said keel for receiving said anchor when the anchor line is wound on said spool. 
     
     
       13. The decoy of claim 11 further comprising a crank slot provided in said spool and crank means having a crank tab adapted to register with said crank slot for rewinding the anchor line on said spool responsive to rotation of said spool by manipulating said crank when said plug is loosened in said keel. 
     
     
       14. The decoy of claim 11 further comprising a crank shaft bracket attached to the bottom of said decoy in spaced relationship with respect to said keel and a bracket opening provided in said crank shaft bracket for receiving and stabilizing said crank means when said crank tab is inserted in said crank slot. 
     
     
       15. The decoy of claim 11 further comprising: (a) anchor receptacle means provided in said keel for receiving said anchor when the anchor line is fully wound on said spool;   (b) a crank slot provided in said spool and crank means having a crank tab adapted to register with said crank slot for rewinding the anchor line on said spool responsive to rotation of said spool by manipulating said crank when said plug is loosened in said keel means; and   (c) a crank shaft bracket attached to the bottom of said decoy in spaced relationship with respect to said keel and a bracket opening provided in said crank shaft bracket for receiving and stabilizing said crank means when said crank tab is inserted in said crank slot.   
     
     
       16. The decoy of claim 15 further comprising at least one ballast means provided on said keel for stabilizing said decoy in an upright position when said decoy is floating. 
     
     
       17. The decoy of claim 16 wherein said at least one ballast means is two strips of lead attached to said keel in spaced relationship. 
     
     
       18. A decoy having an anchor keel comprising a shaped waterfowl decoy having a substantially flat bottom for floating said decoy on a water body; a hollow keel having an open bottom provided on said bottom of said decoy; a pair of curved anchor receptacles attached to said keel at said open bottom in spaced relationship; a generally cylindrical spool housing provided in said keel and a spool rotatably mounted in said spool housing; a length of anchor line normally wound on said spool, with one end of said anchor line attached to said spool and the opposite end of said anchor line extending through said open bottom of said keel and an anchor attached to said opposite end of said anchor line, said anchor adapted to seat in said anchor receptacles when said anchor line is wound on said spool; and a threaded plug threadibly seated in one end of said spool housing substantially in alignment with said spool, whereby said spool is prevented from rotating in said spool housing when said plug is tightened against said spool in said spool housing and said spool is allowed to rotate in said spool housing when said plug is spaced from said spool as said plug is loosened in said spool housing, for selectively securing said anchor in said anchor receptacles and deploying said anchor from said anchor receptacles to anchor said decoy on the water body. 
     
     
       19. The decoy of claim 18 further comprising a crank slot provided in said spool and crank means having a crank tab adapted to register with said crank slot for rewinding the anchor line on said spool responsive to rotation of said spool by manipulating said crank when said plug is loosened in said keel. 
     
     
       20. The decoy of claim 19 further comprising a crank shaft bracket attached to the bottom of said decoy in spaced relationship with respect to said keel and a bracket opening provided in said crank shaft bracket for receiving and stabilizing said crank means when said crank tab is inserted in said crank slot. 
     
     
       21. The decoy of claim 20 further comprising at least two strips of ballast carried by said keel in spaced relationship for stabilizing said decoy on said water body.